China’s Men’s Table Tennis Team Warned to Shun “External‑Association” Mindset as Talent Gaps and Fan Turmoil Threaten Dominance

A lingering talent gap

The unease is not new. Even before 2024, Chinese commentators noted a “青黄不接” – a lack of continuity between the older generation of stars and the younger players waiting in the wings. While the women’s team continued to sweep medals, the men’s side seemed to be stuck in a transitional phase. Established names such as Lin Gaoyuan and Liang Jingkun have been unable to translate their experience into a clear pipeline of successors, and the emergence of promising youngsters has been sporadic at best.

2024: warning signs become louder

By 2024, the problem had begun to surface in tournament results. The introduction of larger balls – a rule change intended to make matches more exciting – appeared to narrow the performance gap that had previously favored Chinese players. Analysts pointed to a series of close calls and occasional defeats that suggested the men’s team was no longer the unassailable juggernaut it once was. The narrative of “declining competitiveness” grew louder, especially after the WTT Yokohama Champions Series, where the Chinese women’s squad captured both gold and silver in singles, while the men’s team managed only a single gold (won by Wang Chuqin) and two silvers. Wang’s loss to Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto in the final was seen as a symbolic blow, prompting questions about the depth of China’s male talent pool.

The “wolf‑like” spirit under scrutiny

A recurring theme in the criticism is the perceived loss of a “wolf‑like” competitive temperament – the relentless, aggressive drive that defined earlier Chinese generations. On Chinese micro‑blogging platform Weibo, users lamented that the team “lacks the fighting spirit and determination to win,” urging coaches to instill a more ferocious mindset. The call to avoid an “external association” mentality is meant to prevent players from becoming overly deferential or complacent in the face of foreign rivals who are now making regular breakthroughs. Names such as Tomokazu Harimoto, the French Lebrun brothers, Germany’s Dang Qiu and Brazil’s Hugo Calderano are frequently cited as evidence that the world has caught up, if not surpassed, China’s traditional advantage.

Fan culture: a new battlefield

While performance on the table remains the focal point, an equally disruptive factor has emerged off it. From January 2025, the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA) and the national team’s leadership launched a campaign to curb “饭圈” – the chaotic, sometimes invasive fan culture that has sprung up around star players. Official fan groups were disbanded, and the CTTA warned that “distorted fan circles” could tarnish the team’s image and interfere with training. The move was prompted by a series of high‑profile incidents, including the public outcry after a leak of star player Fan Zhendong’s personal information and his vocal criticism of overzealous fandom, which he described as “unbearable.”

Fan Zhendong’s German stint: a flashpoint

The most concrete illustration of the “external‑association” dilemma arrived in early June 2025, when Fan Zhendong – the world’s top male player and a key figure in China’s recent successes – announced his participation with a German club. The decision, framed by the CTTA as “a strategic exchange to broaden experience,” nonetheless sparked a wave of dissatisfaction among Chinese fans, many of whom viewed the move as a betrayal of national loyalty. The CTTA responded by emphasizing three reasons for the arrangement: exposure to different play styles, the opportunity to mentor younger foreign talents, and the financial support it provides for the athlete’s long‑term career. Yet critics argued that the very act of a top Chinese player adopting a new identity to compete abroad reinforced the very “external‑association sentiment” the phrase warns against.

Balancing exposure and identity

The episode has ignited a broader conversation about the role of foreign leagues in the development of Chinese athletes. Proponents argue that competing internationally can sharpen skills and prevent the “comfort zone” syndrome that may have set in among domestically‑trained players. Detractors, however, fear that regular exposure to external clubs could dilute the collective drive and unity that have underpinned China’s dominance for decades. The debate mirrors similar discussions in other sports, where the tension between global market opportunities and national team cohesion is a constant balancing act.

Looking ahead

As 2025 unfolds, the Chinese men’s team stands at a crossroads. The CTTA’s crackdown on disruptive fan behavior, coupled with efforts to inject fresh competitive fire into the squad, suggests an awareness of the problem at the highest levels. Yet the fundamental issues – a thin pipeline of elite successors, a perceived softening of the “wolf‑like” mental edge, and the growing allure of foreign leagues – remain unresolved.

For now, the phrase “the national men’s team must not cultivate an external‑association mindset” serves as both a warning and a rallying cry. Whether it will translate into concrete policy changes, a reshaped training regimen, or a shift in how Chinese stars navigate the global table‑tennis landscape remains to be seen. What is clear is that the world’s table‑tennis spotlight will continue to focus on China, not only for its historical achievements but also for how the nation confronts the evolving challenges of a sport that is finally catching up to its own standards.